Ashcroft Cites Privilege in Probe

SIOBHAN McDONOUGH

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, October 17, 2002

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Citing national security concerns, Attorney General John Ashcroft is seeking to withhold sensitive information in response to a whistle-blower's allegations of security lapses in the FBI's translator program.

In papers filed Friday, Ashcroft asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to throw out a lawsuit against the Justice Department brought by Sibel Edmonds, a former contract linguist for the FBI.

The Justice Department's inspector general is investigating whether the FBI retaliated against Edmonds, who was fired last spring and subjected to a security review after she raised allegations of security lapses. The bureau cited performance issues for the dismissal.

The Associated Press reported in June that the whistle-blower's allegations range from shoddy transcriptions by unqualified translators to suggestions one interpreter with a relative who works at a foreign embassy may have compromised national security.

The translator program has played a significant role in interpreting interviews and intercepts of Osama bin Laden's network since Sept. 11.

In his filing Friday, Ashcroft said he was applying the state secrets privilege in order "to protect the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States."

Ashcroft's assertion was made at the request of FBI Director Robert Meuller.

The litigation creates substantial risks of disclosing classified and sensitive national security information that could cause serious damage to the country's security, Barbara Comstock, a Justice spokeswoman, said in a statement.

The state secrets privilege has been recognized by U.S. courts since the 19th century, allowing for the executive branch to safeguard vital information regarding the nation's security or diplomatic relations, Comstock noted.

FBI officials have said they believe the agency's translator program is solid and secure. There have been some minor problems as a large number of translators, many of them Arabic speaking, were brought aboard after the Sept. 11 attacks, officials said.

The FBI has been using a mentoring program that pairs newcomers with experienced translators to address some of those issues.